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American Revolution And Religion

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The Revolutionary period had much more substance to it than meets the eye. Although it is often looked at as just Americans creating the United States of America, that is not the only perspective that should be taken away from the American Revolution. It should be recognized more as Englishmen, as Anglo Protestants, getting away from England. There are numerous diverse perspectives and events that shaped the American Revolution. Some of the most imperative instances are Religion, Anglo Americans, the Intolerable Acts and taxes, and the role of the Tories.
One of the most overlooked perspective of the popular view has to do with religion. The eighteenth century colonists had a plethora of options to choose from when it came to religion. Many …show more content…

These people were called Tories. Tories, also known as loyalists, were colonists that stayed faithful to Britain during the Revolutionary War. They consisted of royal officials, wealthy merchants, conservative urban lawyers, people who disliked pro-revolution citizens, southern slaves who looked to Britain in hope of freedom, and a multitude of Indian tribes. Contrary to popular view, one could argue that the American Revolution was not only a fight between the Patriots and the British, but it was really a civil war between the Rebels and the Tories. The fight between the Rebels and the Tories can be described as brutal because of the guerilla warfare, brigade war, tarring and feathering, and killings that were exhibited between the two sides. According to Tories: Fighting For the King in America’s First Civil War, General Nathanael Greene stated, “The division among the people is much greater than I imagined and the Whigs and Tories persecute each other, with little less than savage fury. There is nothing but murders and devastation in every quarter.” (Thomas Allen p. 1). The Tories main concern was stability, which the British could provide to them unlike the rebels. Many times, this would divide families because they would disagree on whether they wanted to be a Tory or a Rebel. Additionally, if they decided to ultimately be a Tory, they would join the British army to fight against the Patriots or flee to Canada or back to England. Although their role in the American Revolution was to support the British, even with the Tories help, the British were still

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